The Tomorrow Children is the story of a future re-imagined from the after-effects of an experiment in 1960s Russia that attempted to ‘sublime’ the human race, or meld all human minds into one global consciousness. Unfortunately it went wrong and decimated the planet, and it took the next 90 years for the few humans left to rebuild to the point where they have created you, the player, as a ‘projection clone’. You’re tasked with venturing out into ‘The Void’ to reclaim the human race and restore it to its former glory!

The survivors of the experiment have created a society based on Marxist ideals from the 1960s. As you can imagine those ideals have become slightly distorted by the flow of time, and even technology has advanced in unexpected directions.

You begin as a proletariat or normal citizen class. Every little thing you do garners recognition points that you can cash in at the labour office to earn coupons from the state. These ‘ration’ coupons can be cashed in for better abilities. For example, don’t want to line up anymore? Then get yourself the “Sharp Elbows” perk and push in like a bossy bourgeoisie!

The first thing you’ll be expected to do is explore and mine for materials, because the town needs as many resources as it can get to defend itself from the marauding attacks of the Izverg – giant monsters that roam the Void. The islands you visit to mine resources are also generated by the Void and contain all kinds of strange things, including monsters and treasure. They usually come in the shape of symbolic structures or objects from humanity’s past.

The human race will only survive if we cooperate, and as you do things your projection will become briefly visible in other player’s realities. Everything you do to manipulate the world is shared with everyone else in each stage.

For example, if you find someone toiling away in the dark, hold your flashlight steady for them and they will see your projection appear behind them to light their work. If you or they fall into darkness for too long they will lose coherency and be reset back to the town, losing their hard-earned recognition points. If anything scares you there is also the chance you might lose coherency and have your projection reset.

With the mined resources you can craft buildings and items (such as gun turrets, light fixtures, cars and tanks) that everyone can use together to grow the town and defeat the Izverg.

The main goal is to restore the population of the world and you will discover strange Matryoshka dolls which contain the raw DNA essence of the devastated populace. Taking these to the restoration points in the town will bring them back to life and they’ll start working on the town, carrying things around and repairing it for you (when they feel like it!).

Every couple of days an election is held and everyone votes on the mayor they wish to be elected. And choosing the right mayor is crucial. One mayor might lower the resource cost of all buildings by 20%, while another might increase weapons’ efficiency, allowing the turrets to reload more quickly – handy when there is a swarm of spiders attacking!

The Tomorrow Children appears to be a unique, extraordinary mix of genres, set within a decidedly creepy - yet thoroughly mesmerizing - Soviet-like environment in an alternate 1960's reality. There are distinct elements of multiplayer and social gaming in this post-apocalyptic landscape and players will have to work together to survive and flourish. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the production is the singular atmosphere and precisely how we go about navigating its many dangers.

The entire world seems encased in a bizarre white shell of sorts; this is simply called the "Void" and just about everything, including humanity, has already been lost to it. The problem is that massive monsters called Izverg patrol the Void, so humans are in a constant battle with these creatures...which is symbolic because these monsters are actually manifestations of mankind's deepest fears. Yes, there's a definite philosophical bent to this one. The humans that have survived have created strange avatars, or projection clones, to protect themselves as they traverse the Void. These clones are in the shape of children (again, for a very philosophical reason) and they attempt to find islands created by man's hopes and dreams, which can be mined for precious resources.

It's also a rescue mission of sorts because adventurers will happen across Matryoshkas, dolls that contain the essences of lost souls. If you can snag these and return them to safety, advanced technology can return the Matryoshkas back into living beings. To encompass this extremely odd world, the developers are going out on a limb with the graphical production: They're utilizing what is called Cascaded Voxel Cone Ray-Tracing to build a game that reminds one of handmade stop-motion animation. So, when you're playing, it almost feels as if you're inside an old-fashioned cartoon (ala Gumby, only without the stretchiness), and you should appreciate the gorgeous design, highlighted by beautiful character design and wonderfully imaginative scenery. It's very Tim Burton-esque, I think.

Gameplay is pretty straightforward, as your clone can run, jump, and work to harvest those precious materials. You'll also have to pay attention to your surroundings, as the darkness can be mortally dangerous; your clone actually starts to disintegrate if it wanders too long in the dark. The idea is to make enough trips into the Void and gather enough resources so your town grows and expands. Saving those Matryoshkas will go a long way toward accomplishing this goal, too. In this way, it has a Sim City vibe in its approach to growth and success; only here, you actually need to get down and dirty when getting your resources. You'll use a pickaxe to mine what you need, and you'll locate various veins of ore and other minerals. But of course, the more you dig and the deeper you go, the darker it gets, so...

You won't be the only one out there, obviously, and more clones working in the Void means more opportunities for resources. You can interact with other clones via simple gestures, and you can even sacrifice a bit of your own health to heal them if they're in trouble. The Izverg will be a constant terror and yeah, they're kinda like Godzillas that can cause a tremendous amount of damage in a short span of time. This is where you put aside your pickaxe and take up a rocket launcher or other weapon to fend them off. If you and your fellow clones can manage to bring down an Izverg, it will become a crystallized corpse and as such, an exceedingly valuable mining resource. The bigger the danger, the bigger the payoff. You might even locate some handy-dandy new tools and other machinery as you dig and mine, which can the be used to your advantage in town.

As you progress, you'll receive points that can be used for attribute upgrades, and you'll also earn coupons that can be spent on better tools. Your basic tools have a lifespan, as you might expect, and besides, the rampaging Izverg will demand better and better weaponry. Just never forget that this is a collective effort: Your Ministry assessments are critical, so you'll always have to concern yourself with the greater good. The community's welfare depends on everyone working together, so you have to keep that in mind when you set out. In the end, The Tomorrow Children is a hugely ambitious and original title that blends strategy, Minecraft-like gameplay, action/adventure and role-playing elements into a really appealing package. Look for it to arrive on PS4 later this year.

The game has been revealed to be a free-to-play title. I typically avoid free-to-play games, but the visuals on this one are so interesting that I'm going to give it a try.

Before the free-to-play version is released, a paid-access version of the game comes out on September 6. For $19.99 you get the Founders Pack:

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The early access Founders Pack includes the following premium paid content ($19.99, includes more than $30 worth of content):

Bourgeoisie papers — This is your first step to becoming a resident of The Void. By earning the “rezidenty” status, player’s will have the privilege to participate in creating structures and items to build your town, access to new tools, and the ability to build your very own house within the town. Also includes five F2P invitations to send to friends.

Lv1 Arms License — Unlocks access to higher-tier weapons at the weapons dealer in town (purchase items with in-game currency earned by completing various labor tasks).

Eagle Corp. Jetpack — This high-end Black Market paid item will take you to new heights, allowing you to reach otherwise inaccessible areas on tops of “islands” to mine resources and find hidden items.

Exclusive PSN avatar pack — This is a pack containing three exclusive PSN avatars limited to the Founders Pack.

1000 Freeman Dollars — Currency that can be used at the black market to purchase a variety of high-powered weapons, tools, and more, and can also be used as bribes to government officials for quick personal benefit. (This is separate from the in-game credits collected from the town’s City Hall after completing various labor tasks, which are used at the normal vendors in town.)

Bourgeoisie Paper holders will also receive five invitations to send to their friends, granting them access to the F2P game client before full public release. Invited comrades can enjoy the F2P game for free, and upgrade their experience with the Founders Pack if they choose